"I know there’s a lot of dialogue wrapped around Refsnyder and Pirela," Cashman said, per the Journal News. "But I think also that those guys have shown they still have work to do on the defensive side still. ... The bats are impressive, but you’ve seen the defensive stuff they’ve shown us in short sample sizes as well. ... So right now I’m pretty comfortable that Drew signing was the smart play for us on the front end."

Refsnyder has made five errors and Pirela two.

Drew had a three hit game on Friday, homered on Saturday and doubled on Sunday.

"He’s looked really good at the plate," Cashman said. "He’s looked so much better than last year the last week to 10 days. That’s encouraging. I know it’s got to be building his confidence and having memories of what he was prior to last year, because that’s certainly what’s playing around in my head. I feel much better about the situation right now."

Cashman: Jose Pirela won't be on Yankees' Opening Day roster

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(3/25/2015)Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday infielder Jose Pirela wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster, despite a productive spring, per NJ.com. Pirela is sidelined after colliding with the outfield wall Sunday, but even if he was healthy, Cashman said it wouldn't have mattered.

Pirela is batting .370 (10 for 27) with two triples, three doubles, five RBI, three walks, four runs and six strikeouts in 15 spring games.

Yankees' Pirela on outfield collision: Nobody wants to go through that

"Yes, a little," he said. "I tried to relax and stay positive that everything was going to be alright."

Pirela was stretchered off the field with a concussion, and was discharged from the hospital Sunday night after an MRI and a CT scan camp back normal. He said he no longer feels any dizziness on Tuesday, but is still experiencing soreness in his neck and in his back from Sunday's collision. Manager Joe Girardi told the paper he still has some hurdles to pass before he is cleared for game action.

"Nobody wants to go through something like this," Pirela said. "I'm going to keep working and hopefully everything comes out alright."

Girardi: Pirela feeling better Monday, going through battery of tests

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(3/23/2015)Yankees manager Joe Girardi said rookie Jose Pirela was feeling better Monday after suffering a concussion Sunday when he crashed into an outfield wall during a game against the Mets.

"He's pretty good today," Girardi told reporters, per ESPN. "He's sore. His neck is sore, too, [but] he feels and looks better than what I expected.

"He has to go through a battery of tests. We're very careful with it. The bottom line is you can say he's going on the seven-day DL during the season, but it could take longer, or he might be ready in five days. You just don't know with a concussion. For each person it's different. We've seen concussion symptoms last for months. We'll go through all the tests to make sure he's OK before we run him back out there."

Pirela is competing for a spot on the Yankees' bench.

Yankees Jose Pirela discharged from hospital

by Elliott Smith | Staff Writer

(3/22/2015)After suffering a scary injury in which he had to be carted off the field, Yankees utility man Jose Pirela was discharged from the hospital Sunday after MRIs and CT scans of his neck, spine and brain all came back normal, per ESPN.com.

Pirela collided with the outfield wall during Sunday's game and the Yankees later announced that had had suffered a concussion. Pirela was hitting .370 this spring, but remained a longshot to make the Opening Day roster.

Yankees' Jose Pirela carted off field after crashing into wall

by Shawn Krest | CBSSports.com

(3/22/2015)Yankees outfielder Jose Pirela had to be carted off the field after he collided with a wall during Sunday's game.

Pierla was holding his head as he was loaded onto an ambulance on a gurney, according to ESPN's Marly Rivera.

The Yankees later announced that Pirela had suffered a concussion. He was given a CT scan, which came back normal, and Pirela was undergoing other tests at the hospital.

Pirela is hitting .370 this spring.

Yankees' Jose Pirela appears to be odd man out

by Elliott Smith | Staff Writer

(3/19/2015)Yankees utility man Jose Pirela has performed well during spring training, but he still remains a longshot to make the team's opening day roster, according to The Journal News.

Pirela has played a variety of positions during the spring, including shortstop, but the Yankees appear set with Brendan Ryan at the position.

"You don't ever lock yourself in and say, this is exactly what it's going to be, but when we came to spring training, we were pretty sure - excluding the second catcher - who the 13 guys were going to be," manager Joe Girardi said.

“We’re going to move him around because that flexibility is nice to have,” Girardi said. “In the limited time that he was up last year, he did a really good time for us. And you could put him in the outfield as well. I don’t know how much we’ll put him in the outfield in spring, but I’m comfortable putting him out there anywhere. You never know how things are going to shake out in camp.”

Free agents such as Stephen Drew and Asdrubal Cabrera could be more palatable options in teaming up with inexperienced shortstop Didi Gregorius as a double play combination. But Cashman is certainly open to starting the year with Refsnyder or Pirela.

Cashman is high on Refsnyder, who hit .318 with 14 home runs at the Double-A and Triple-A levels last season, though he admits he hasn't seen much of him. "I know that in half a year he had nine errors in Double-A and in the seocnd half, in Triple-A, he had only three," Cashman told NJ.com. "So there's obviously a lot of improvement there. ... Very excited about his bat and his ability to get on base and do some things."

Meanwhile, Joe Girardi has spoken highly of Pirela, who batted .333 in 24 at-bats for the Yankees after his September promotion.

"He made every type of play: a slow roller, a ball to hisright, a ball to his left, a turn-and-throw play and a tag play at second," Girardi said.